Product Description
Few individuals have shaped their country's civilization more profoundly than the Master Kong, better-known as Confucius (551-479 BC).His sayings and those of his disciples form the foundation of a distinct social, ethical, and intellectual system.They have retained their freshness and vigor throughout the two and a half millennia of their currency, and are still admired even in today's China.
This lively new translation offers clear explanatory notes by one of the foremost scholars of classical Chinese, providing an ideal introduction to the Analects for readers who have no previous knowledge of the Chinese language and philosophical traditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

First-rate first Confucius
This was the first translation of the Analects that I read.It has faults, but so too does every other translation, and there is no translation that reads more delightfully than this one does; Dawson may be the only really elegant writer of prose to have undertaken an Analects translation.Dawson's besetting sin is a flood of conjunctions and transitions which have no root in the original.Take the following for example:

"The wise delight in water, but the humane delight in mountains.For although the wise are active, the humane are at rest.And although the wise will find joy, the humane will have long life."Here the words "but" "for although" and "and although" are purely Dawson's creation: there is nothing correspoinding to them in the original.

But if this is the worst sin a translator has, we may breathe freely.Lau similarly--in fact to a far worse degree-overlards his translations with verbiage, and he cannot plead the excuse of elegance.Let's compare them.Here is Lau:

"A man is worthy of being a teacher who gets to know what is new by keeping fresh in his mind what he is already familiar with."27

Would anyone reading that sentence remember it as something inspiring or exciting?And why can Lau not refrain from all the useless padding?

Here is Leys:

"He who by revising the old gets to know the new is fit to be a teacher." 17

A bit better--we don't quite fall alseep here at least--but "revise" is cold and, as we shall see, a strange choice.

And now Dawson:

"If by keeping the old warm one can provide understanding of the new, one is fit to be a teacher." 20

Is there a comparison?I can remember how exciting I found those words the first time I read them!The original has a concision of which English is incapable: "Warm old and know new, can be teacher indeed" would be a word-for-word attempt.Ten words--to Leys' 17, Dawson's 20, and Lau's (typically egregious) 27."Know new" could mean either the man himself knowing the new, or providing such knowledge to others, or both; classical Chinese admits of these ambiguities, and it gets to the point where ambiguity becomes greater precision, as the knowledge here can be conceived of as communal and indivisible. Dawson has taken a few liberties; we could probably not justify "provide understanding" from a strict analysis of the original, although even here a defence could be mounted, for the Chinese word "knowledge" or "know" includes the sense of wisdom as well.But "keep warm" keeps the "warm" in the sentence, which neither Lau nor Leys seems interested in.Yet it is important!The soul of the Analects is alive in this translation as it is not in the others.

This book is not equipped with much in the way of scholarly or philological notes, but there are enough notes to clear up the obvious problems.I would strongly recommend this as a first Analects; it's better simply to enjoy and mull over the words themselves without getting caught up in the web of secondary concerns that heavily annotated books tend to drift into.The only really good translation is five or six translations read side by side, for comparison, along with the original, but starting with this one would be the most enjoyable way to get into the world of Confucius.

The Layman's Review
Before purchasing this book, one needs to ask themselves why they want it. If you are purchasing this book to perform a comparitive review on the contextual issues involved with the translation of ancient Chinese for the modern scholar, you will likely be disappointed.

However, if you are simply trying to familiarize yourself with an ancient philosophy of the Far East, this book will do nicely. If you are able to focus on the ideas rather than the grammar, you will be pleased. This book contains a wealth of common sense virtues and would be an absolute "must" for an aspiring political scientist, as it contains a healthy dose of political savvy.

Finally, the reader must keep in mind while reading this that Confucianism did not take hold for many years after Master Kong's death. Such is the way of all wisdom. ... Read more

Product Description
Two thousand and five hundred years ago, a Chinese scholar known throughout the world as "Confucius," spent a lifetime wandering and spreading words of wisdom amongst all he met. He was not just a legend, he was a real man. He was K'ung Fu-tsze of Lu, a state in eastern China. He was a husband, a father, a Minister of Justice, a devoted teacher, and a loyal friend. He was a man who spoke up to the monarchy, who fled from enemies, who sought tenderness for the elderly and the orphans, and who at times, also cried. His life's mission was not merely to disseminate brief aphorisms. It was to teach others to develop their character gradually, carefully, and solidly. He taught people to uphold that character at all times and during all situations, and to strengthen their committment to what was right. He strove to assist people in cultivating the inner fortitude to live as honorable, devoted, respectful, sincere, honest, knowledgeable, humble, careful, intelligent, concerned, compassionate, fair, and wise human beings, at all times and in all situations.He sought to awaken human consciousness to recognize that the ability to enact change and to make ours a more just and kind world lay not within an external deity, but within the will of each human being. K'ung Fu-tsze strove to inspire people that each individual must live a lifetime of sincerity, concern, and respect for all others in order for society to sustain itself. K'ung Fu-tsze was not just advising people on how to act during specific situations. He was advising them on how to act for a lifetime. I hope that by making this illustrated version of the Analects, I will have helped you to gain as much from the wisdom of the K'ung Fu-tsze as I have. ... Read more

Product Description
Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius is based on the most up-to-date archaeological discoveries. It introduces new data, as well as new ways to think about them - modes of analysis that, while familiar to archaeological practitioners in the West and in Japan, are herein applied to evidence from the Chinese Bronze Age for the first time. The treatment of social stratification, clan and lineage organisation, as well as gender and ethnic differences will be of interest to those involved in the general or comparative analysis of grand themes in the Social Sciences. ... Read more

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Confucius did not regard himself as an innovator, but as the conservator of ancient truth and ceremonial propriety. He dealt with neither theology nor metaphysics, but with moral and political conduct. The Lun Yu, Analects or Sayings of Confucius, were probably compiled, says Legge, "by the disciples of the disciples of the sage, making free use of the written memorials concerning him which they had received, and the oral statements which they had heard, from their several masters. And we shall not be far wrong, if we determine its date as about the beginning of the third, or the end of the fourth century before Christ." ... Read more

Product Description
Why and how people should be educated has, throughout history, preoccupied some of civilization's greatest minds.This unique work summarizes and analyzes the thinking on education of fifty individuals drawn from a time span covering 500 BC to the nineteenth century. Among those included are:

* Confucius * Plato * St. Augustine * EamusJohn Wesley * Immanuel Kant * Mary Wollstonecaft * Nietzche * John Dewey * Rudolf Steiner

Together with Fifty Contemporary Thinkers on Education, this book provides an intellectual history of educational thinking, through the ages.Each essay gives biographical information, an outline of the individual's principal achievements and activities, an assessment of his or her impact and influence, a list of their major writings and suggested further reading. Joy Palmer is Pro Vice-Chancellor of Durham University. She is a member of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, and is the author of numerous books on education and the environment.She is the editor of two other titles in Routledge's Key Guide series:Fifty Key Thinkers on the Environment and Fifty Contemporary Thinkers on Education. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Deceptive title
I bought this book because I was doing research into Confucius and his influences on Japanese education.A title that states "From Confucius to Dewey" would lead one to believe that Confucius would receive a certain degree of attention.

There was too much biographical information on each of the "thinkers" covered.In some cases, the "thinker's" contributions to education were barely discussed.This was especially true in the case of Confucius, who only receives a couple of pages of attention, very little of which has to do with his massive contributions to educational theory. This was dissappointing, considering the headliner status he received in the title of the book.

Western "thinkers" are covered thoroughly enough for me to give a 3-star rating to this book.

Great resource.
This book is a great resource for those interested in education theory.The author provides the reader with a short overview of the thinking of each of the individuals covered.I particularly appreciate the international diversity represented in this book.I found the book provided my students with a more global perspective on education theory and motivated them to do more independent research on the topic.I recommend this book as a resource and a good introduction to education theory. ... Read more

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1.Confucius

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Translated by Leonard A. Lyall

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As a comparative study of the virtue ethics of Aristotle and Confucius, this book explores how they each reflect upon human good and virtue out of their respective cultural assumptions, conceptual frameworks, and philosophical perspectives.It does not simply take one side as a framework to understand the other; rather, it takes them as mirrors for each other and seeks to develop new readings and perspectives of both ethics that would be unattainable if each were studied on its own. ... Read more

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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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British Library

T140229

Translated and abridged from the Latin translation of Prospero Intorcetta, Philippe Couplet, and others, or from an intervening French translation attributed to Louis Cousin or Jean de La Brune.A reissue of the 1706 edition (printed for T. Horne), with

London : printed for F. Fayram, 1724. [16],136p. ; 8° ... Read more

Product Description
The sacred landscape of imperial China was dotted with Buddhist monasteries, Daoist temples, shrines to local deities, and the altars of the mandarinate. Prominent among the official shrines were the temples in every capital throughout the empire devoted to the veneration of Confucius. Twice a year members of the educated elite and officials in each area gathered to offer sacrifices to Confucius, his disciples, and the major scholars of the Confucian tradition.

The worship of Confucius is one of the least understood aspects of Confucianism, even though the temple and the cult were highly visible signs of Confucianism's existence in imperial China. To many modern observers of traditional China, the temple cult is difficult to reconcile with the image of Confucianism as an ethical, humanistic, rational philosophy. The nine essays in this book are an attempt to recover the meaning and significance of the religious side of Confucianism. Among other subjects, the authors analyze the social, cultural, and political meaning attached to the cult; its history; the legends, images, and rituals associated with the worship of Confucius; the power of the descendants of Confucius, the main temple in the birthplace of Confucius; and the contemporary fate of temples to Confucius. ... Read more

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Considered one of the world’s greatest philosophers, Confucius developed a moral code that would influence Chinese culture and would serve as the foundation for official and political policy during the Han Dynasty. The teachings of Confucius emphasized self-enlightenment and personal responsibility and attracted students and disciples from all walks of life. The collection of the teachings called the Analects, have become known the world over. Ironically, during his lifetime, Confucius was often viewed with suspicion by political rivals who feared his influence and his contribution to society was only fully appreciated and recognized years after his death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a student's guide and helper
Shaughnessy is the gold standard for research in the Chinese classics. This is NOT a coffee table book, but a serious research tool for the serious student. If you are interested in the subject you will wwant to ownthis as a part of your library. That said, the etymology in the book isthorough and well documented. His analysis of the early Chinese writingsystems is focused, at times eveen exhausting to the non-student, but sogood that you will be glad you made the effort. READ THE FOOTNOTES!Otherwise, you really are not geting your money's worth.The BambooBooks, Classic of Changes, Venerated Documents, Classic of Poetry, haveprobably never been this well explained to the English speaking student. Enjoy! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium
As the 20th century comes to an end, both scientific achievements and material abundance have reached record-high levels.But, avariance and emptiness in humans and cruelties and coarseness in the society have alsoproduced violences rarely seen in history.The best-selling books in rcentyears in the United States, in Taiwan, and in Hongkong are mainly onself-encouragement and self-improvement, reflecting the thirst forspiritual and emotional guidance by people in search of direction.Forthis Christmas, would you be willing to buy, for your US-raised childrenand grandchildren, for your fellow first-generation-immigrant friends andrelatives, or even for yourself, a classical book that embodies the wisdomof life as a gift as we enter the beautiful new millennium?

David Li'sthe Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Translation, is such abook.

Graduated from St. John's University in Shanghai, well known forthe command of English, Mr. Li earned an MBA from the Wharton School of theUniversity of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the University of Illinois.Hewas a Professor at the California State University, Fullerton; at theUniversity of Washington, Seattle; and at the University of Texas, Dallas. He was also a Visiting Professor to the Chinese University of Hong Kong andto India.

Versed in seven or eight foreign languages, Mr. Li, prior totranslating the Analects of Confucius, has published 16 English-languagebooks single-handedly.Although he left China at age 20 and spent morethan a half century abroad, Mr. Li nevertheless feels a personalresponsibility for the dissimination of Chinese culture to the world.Eventhough a septuagenarian, Mr. Li still goes to the Library of Congressregularly to collect materials, and to Taiwan and mainland to do interviewsand research.He also already published books on Xiangqi and onMah-jong.

Although there are over 20 English translations of Confucius'sAnalects, what prompted Mr. Li to engage in another translation of this2500-year-old classic?

1) age - personal experiences accumulated through70 years of life allow him to appreciate the real meaning of theAnalects.

2) facility in both Chinese and English; observance oftranslation standards of truthfulness, clarity, and elegance

3) avoidanceof incorrect interpretation and inaccurate translation

4) exhaustiveannotation - some 500 footnotes for the Analects' 515 segments, withparticular emphasis on historical background and geopolitical environmentlikely to be unfamiliar to wester readers, and on cross-references betweenabstract concepts and specific applications

5) several indexes (this is acommon shortcoming of reference works in Chinese; indexes in this bookevidences Mr. Li's schoarlship after decades of western-style training) -including a chronology on Confucius, an index of his disciples, an index ofpeople other than his disciples, and a subject index.

I was particularlymoved by Mr. Li's dedicating this work to the Younger Generation of ChineseEthnicity, expressing the hope that they would be proud of their culturalheritage that is second to none.

This new translation of the Analects ofConfucius should not only be read by our American-raised youngergenerations, but should also be recommended to friends of other ethnicity,even to the first-generation immigrants who were deprived of opportunitiesof gaining access to Confucius's thoughts in their growing-up period, orwho had misunderstood his teachings.They should all take advantage ofthis elegant and thoughtful bilingual volume to gain a new understanding ofConfucian thought.

Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium
As the 20th century comes to an end, both scientific achievements and material abundance have reached record-high levels.But, avariance and emptiness in humans and cruelties and coarseness in the society have alsoproduced violences rarely seen in history.The best-selling books in rcentyears in the United States, in Taiwan, and in Hongkong are mainly onself-encouragement and self-improvement, reflecting the thirst forspiritual and emotional guidance by people in search of direction.Forthis Christmas, would you be willing to buy, for your US-raised childrenand grandchildren, for your fellow first-generation-immigrant friends andrelatives, or even for yourself, a classical book that embodies the wisdomof life as a gift as we enter the beautiful new millennium?

David Li'sthe Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Translation, is such abook.

Graduated from St. John's University in Shanghai, well known forthe command of English, Mr. Li earned an MBA from the Wharton School of theUniversity of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the University of Illinois.Hewas a Professor at the California State University, Fullerton; at theUniversity of Washington, Seattle; and at the University of Texas, Dallas. He was also a Visiting Professor to the Chinese University of Hong Kong andto India.

Versed in seven or eight foreign languages, Mr. Li, prior totranslating the Analects of Confucius, has published 16 English-languagebooks single-handedly.Although he left China at age 20 and spent morethan a half century abroad, Mr. Li nevertheless feels a personalresponsibility for the dissimination of Chinese culture to the world.Eventhough a septuagenarian, Mr. Li still goes to the Library of Congressregularly to collect materials, and to Taiwan and mainland to do interviewsand research.He also already published books on Xiangqi and onMah-jong.

Although there are over 20 English translations of Confucius'sAnalects, what prompted Mr. Li to engage in another translation of this2500-year-old classic?

1) age - personal experiences accumulated through70 years of life allow him to appreciate the real meaning of theAnalects.

2) facility in both Chinese and English; observance oftranslation standards of truthfulness, clarity, and elegance

3) avoidanceof incorrect interpretation and inaccurate translation

4) exhaustiveannotation - some 500 footnotes for the Analects' 515 segments, withparticular emphasis on historical background and geopolitical environmentlikely to be unfamiliar to wester readers, and on cross-references betweenabstract concepts and specific applications

5) several indexes (this is acommon shortcoming of reference works in Chinese; indexes in this bookevidences Mr. Li's schoarlship after decades of western-style training) -including a chronology on Confucius, an index of his disciples, an index ofpeople other than his disciples, and a subject index.

I was particularlymoved by Mr. Li's dedicating this work to the Younger Generation of ChineseEthnicity, expressing the hope that they would be proud of their culturalheritage that is second to none.

This new translation of the Analects ofConfucius should not only be read by our American-raised youngergenerations, but should also be recommended to friends of other ethnicity,even to the first-generation immigrants who were deprived of opportunitiesof gaining access to Confucius's thoughts in their growing-up period, orwho had misunderstood his teachings.They should all take advantage ofthis elegant and thoughtful bilingual volume to gain a new understanding ofConfucian thought.

Excellent work
Li's translation on various passages are really wonderful -- truly reflecting the traditional culture of Chinese under "Confucism" -- "li" (Conduct). In fa (Law, Legal) society (most in U.S. andcontemporary transitional Taiwan}, individualities are based on legalisticconditions/situations.Personal morality and values under "li"are frequently questioned. Li's book may serve a bridge for AmericanChinese to discuss the disparities between "li" and"fa". Parents/teachers may use Li's book as the means foreducational purposes.Good -- excellent work.

For example: "Acommon man will do whatever is needed to be out of poverty" (p 182). This sentence connotes "bad" value in Chinese tradition.But theconception is "good" in the American contemporary mentality. This represents a cultural and temporal diversity.In Li's book, Li didnot endorse either.For this reason, Li's book is extremely valuable as aneducational means.

Most valuable to those who can read both Chinese and English
This [Dr. Li's] rendition is most valuable to those who can read some Chinese but need English translation to fully understand the passages in Chinese.An example is the following (4.10); the passage in Chinese isrendered as follows:

The Master said: "A gentleman focuses onvirtue; a common man, on land.A gentleman focuses on civicresponsibilities; a common man, on gaining advantage."

With afootnote, explaining that "land" is a general reference to itemsof value, that passage in Chinese is fully and accurately translated intoEnglish.

This volume by Dr. Li, "The Analects of Confucius, aNew-Millennium Translation," is a very worthwhile book to read.

A title 2,500 years ago is of interest to us chess players
Why is a title, Lun Yu, from 2,500 years ago of any interest to us chess players?

The author addresses this question in a forward evoking current events, the tribulations of President Clinton, and, in a personal context,there is an amusing quote from the hyper-modern Confucius: "When afault is allowed to remain uncorrected, that is then a fault," andalso "If one cannot resist minor temptations, one's grand plan mightbe ruined."

Confucius seems so ancient that he is practically new tous.Although I joke about hyper-modernism,the intent of the author seemsto be to present the work as current advice on a palpable them ofConfucius, Conduct.

Perhaps the best compliment that I could offer tohim, by way of his current interpreter, is that I picked up his book andpaid it rapt attention, the kind usually reserved for new chess titles.

Ishould finish with something of value to any writer on a newsgroup, orelsewhere:

"When a name cannot be justified, words have noauthority.When words have no authority, missions cannot be accomplished,Conduct and music cannot flourish.When Conduct and music are notflourishing, penalties and punishments cannot be on target.When penaltiesand punishments are noton target, the populace are without anchors toguide themselves.Thus, a gentleman's name must have authority; his wordsmust be put into practice.A gentleman, in relation to his words, mustalways be vigilant."

And he has.

Phil Innes ... Read more

Product Description
The Analects of Confucius, are a record of the words and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. The Chinese title literally means "discussion over [Confucius'] words."

Written during the Spring and Autumn Period through the Warring States Period (ca. 479 BCE - 221 BCE), the Analects is the representative work of Confucianism and continues to have a tremendous influence on Chinese and East Asian thought and values today.

For almost two thousand years, the Analects had also been the fundamental course of study for any Chinese scholar, for a man was not considered morally upright or enlightened if he did not study Confucius' works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

just the greatest
The finest poetic anthology in the English language! Over the years I[just a common sort] have owned 4 copies, and worn out 3. Worth the priceif the price were doubled. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Yuan Mei - Sensualist and Gourmet
I have not read this English translation, but twenty years ago I read the two books on which it is based, and ("What the Master did not speak of," and "What the Masterdid not speak of, continued"). I enjoyed them so much that I set outto translate them. Both books consist of ribald little vignettes inclassical Chinese. But other events intervened and I lost interest incompleting my translation. I'm glad to see that someone else has completedwhat I did not. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Follow the Path to the Light at the End
This book has led me to believe that there is indeed hope for us in the 21st Century to re-discover a spirituality. One that will work in these current times, that is.

What these two authors have done is to present to the reader, four of the most influential sages or saints (depending on your location) and their lives, their thoughts and their personalities.

Armed with this knowledge the reader then finds it extremely possible to undertake the difficult process of finding a sense of grounding in today's turbulent society. ... Read more

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Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more